An hour south of Geneva, where the Swiss Alps meet the French Alps, lies the splendid little city of Annecy. In winter, Annecy’s lake—opaque and unfrozen—reflects snowy peaks down which the begoggled and besweatered whoosh on skis, powered by adrenaline and hot chocolate. But in summer, Annecy itself is the attraction, its lake sparkling and […]
Annecy: Alpine Rhapsody Read More
Did you know that you can fly on a double-decker plane from five cities in North America? No, the iconic 747, with its distinctive hump and short business-class cabin towards the front isn’t the double-decker plane I’m referring to. I mean the world’s largest airplane, the Airbus A380, which can seat between 525 (typical 3-class
A380 Conquering North American Skies Read More
Did you know that only 28% of Greater Miami’s residents speak English at home? Miami being a Spanish-speaking city isn’t just a myth. Everyone jokes about needing a passport to visit Miami and that the city’s first language is Spanish. But it’s not just a joke; in Miami, more people speak Spanish than English. According to data
En Miami, Se Habla Español Read More
With a last name like Goldfrapp, you’d better start a band or something. British chanteuse Alison Goldfrapp and musician Will Gregory have been whipping up ethereal, otherworldly sounds for over 15 years. I first heard of the duo back in the early-2000s on one of the many lounge music compilation disks in my collection at the
Global Juke Joint: Goldfrapp Read More
Martin and I have been friends since I first CouchSurfed at his place in Stockholm during my whirlwind round-the-world tour in 2009. Recently, I hung out at his place and he finally decided to teach me a little Swedish before dinner. 🙂
Ernest + Martin Speak Swedish Read More
Read Part One here. The crack of dawn occurred after Rogue Priest, Pixi, and I had woken up and took to the road in search of breakfast. The Hotel La Turbina advertised a restaurant that didn’t actually exist, and, Sabinas Hidalgo being a relatively small town, most eating places didn’t open on Sundays until seven (in
Three Days in Mexico — Part Two: Finding Glory Read More
At the spur of the moment, and in what I would consider to be a bit of cosmic planning, I found myself with some unexpected free time with which to head down Mexico way and drive the support car for my buddy Rogue Priest and friend as they cycled through the dry and dangerous northern
Three Days in Mexico – Part One Read More
“I live in the most beautiful city in the world,” said my buddy Rob, a long-time expat American living in Cape Town. He’s been saying this, in one way or another, for the past several years. And it only took until this year for me to visit and, sooner rather than later, for me to
Captivating Cape Town Read More
Sixty years ago, the United States Supreme Court struck down racial segregation in American public schools. “[S]eperate educational facilities are inherently unequal” wrote the court. The case, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, set the stage for the dismantling of legal segregation, culminating a decade later in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
60 Years After Brown, 20 Years After Apartheid Read More
In Maine, in late summer, the cool breezes off the sapphire-blue Atlantic temper the warmth of a pale sun, the air free of the asphyxiating humidity of more southerly latitudes. Despite being a son of the South, and tethered naturally to the cultures and climates therein, I always find myself drawn to the northern parts
